Forgive me Max if I question the sincerity of your concerns here, at least in relation to the state of the board.
If I had to give an updated state of the board, I'd say you've seen a balancing out of thoughts and opinions. Whereas in the past the board seemed to be pack of Lefties pick on the token Right-Winger, I think now you get a little bit more balance and disagreement.
I mean, no concerns were vocalized when just about every thread back in the day was Ronnie Raygun says something, everybody attacks him, and then he goes away. If anything, the gang beatings on folks like Geggy should remind folks of the good ol' days (with the only obvious difference being that Ronnie was conservative, and Geggy is.....well Geggy).
It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that regular conservatives on the board either came and went, or stay quiet most of the time. There's a reason for that, and if that has changed, well frankly I'm glad.
Is the nation polarized? Sure. But the funny thing about polarization is it also tends to go hand-in-hand with high involvement. Same could be said of FDR, and the same could be said now.
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Originally Posted by mburbank
Can one disagree with the actions of Israel without hating Jews?
Can one dislike our current government intensely without at best not caring and at worst hoping people die?
Can one feel the war in Iraq is worth it without thinking Arabs are subhuman?
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Of course, however I think this is aside from the point. I don't think any ofthe critics of Israel (aside from Geggy) on this board are actually anti-semites. I don't think anyone on this board who supports Israel hates all Arabs and muslims.
I do however think that critics of Israel in particular often get sloppy, and find themselves using anti-semetic rhetoric and "history" in order to condemn the state in the name of a supposedly occupied Palestine. I don't make this accusation lightly, but I speak from personal experience.
I think there was a time when liberals owned the rights to supporting democracy and freedom abroad, and somewhere along the line they tossed those for some less attractive values in the 60's and 70's, in my opinion.
I support Israel not b/c they're simply Jewish, or b/c they'e fighting muslims, but because they stand for a liberal ideal. They are a democracy, surrounded by totalitarianism and oppression, trying to preserve a bastion in the world for a people who have been history's kickball.
I think the discussions here transcend the Left/Right dynamic, and instead get deeper into what is right and what is wrong. Generally speaking, people here aren't spouting talking points from DNC or RNC e-mails, but rather say what they think. I see nothing wrong with that.